WYLD Showdown Beer Coaster Game Aims to Raise Money for Wildlife Conservation

Consumers in breweries across Wyoming can participate in a bracket-style competition via a QR code found on beer coasters to raise awareness and funds that support wildlife conservation.

With the launch of the WYLD Showdown, consumers will vote on their favorite wild animals by making small donations to participate.

The WYLD Showdown is a partnership among The WYldlife Fund’s signature initiative, WYldlife for Tomorrow; the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild; and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. Through this initiative, The WYldlife Fund aims to create new ways to help all people take an active part in conservation funding.

“As a home for all people, The WYldlife Fund is proud to partner with the Craft Brewers Guild and the Haub School to showcase the commitment that Wyoming breweries have to the state’s wildlife resources,” says Nate Brown, operations manager of The WYldlife Fund. “Great beer, made by great people, in great places across our state.”

Through the support of the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild, these coasters will be available at breweries across Wyoming, giving those who enjoy the great beer that Wyoming breweries produce the opportunity to support wildlife conservation while enjoying their favorite beverages and supporting local businesses.

“Engaging in this program is a great chance for Wyoming breweries to showcase their commitment to their communities and wildlife conservation,” says Michelle Forster, executive director of the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild. “We’re excited to see Wyomingites show their love for craft beer and wildlife all at once.”

By choosing their champion through these donations, consumers across the state can make a collective impact on wildlife conservation by helping fund on-the-ground projects. Inna Willis, a former graphic design student at UW, designed the coasters for the WYLD Showdown. The idea for the WYLD Showdown came from Haub School graduate student Tyler Shreve’s thesis project that examines strategies to promote charitable giving in support of Wyoming conservation projects. College of Business economists Todd Cherry and Alex James also were instrumental in the project design.

“Even you can support wildlife conservation, one beer at a time,” says Willis, who is now working alongside Haub School graphic design and economics faculty members Kayla Clark and Jacob Hochard in support of the initiative.

The WYLD Showdown coasters are now out at breweries across the state. The competition will last for several months.

WYldlife for Tomorrow is moving the needle for Wyoming’s wildlife conservation. Wyoming’s wildlife has suffered greatly due to factors including habitat encroachment, invasive species, wildlife-vehicle collisions and, most recently, the worst winter in modern history.

For more information, email or call Brown, nate@thewyldlifefund.org, (307) 714-1223; Forster, michelle@wyocraftbrewersguild.com, (310) 720-3769; or Hochard, jhochard@uwyo.edu, (307) 766-5080.

About The WYldlife Fund

The WYldlife Fund is a home for all people who love the wildlife of Wyoming. Serving as a partner foundation to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, The WYldlife Fund is uniquely positioned to have a profound positive impact. Specializing in grant agreements, the fund ensures precise and efficient allocation of resources on the ground to advance wildlife projects across Wyoming. For more information, visit www.thewyldlifefund.org.

About the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild

The members of the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild are dedicated to education, public awareness and support for their products, profession and history while documenting their economic impact and legal responsibilities throughout Wyoming. The guild and its members are committed to actively supporting and interacting within their respective communities as permissible under Wyoming law.  For more information, visit www.wyocraftbrewersguild.com.

About the UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources

UW’s Haub School provides undergraduate and graduate programs that use critical thinking and cutting-edge, collaborative problem-solving for natural resource challenges. Supportive of the WYldlife for Tomorrow initiative from the beginning, Haub School students and researchers have been ambassadors for the program, providing graphic design for several co-branded products, as well as using this coaster project as part of a master’s degree thesis to study charitable giving for conservation purposes. The Haub School’s partnership in this project is invaluable, and continued projects and collaborations are on the horizon. Learn more at www.uwyo.edu/haub.